Pipe-thawing apparatus



W. S. DARLEY.

PIPE THAW|NG APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 0619,1918.

, 1,361,023, 4 Patented Dec. 7,1920.

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g L if a 8 a h o D ii 4530f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. DARLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIPE-THAWING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

Application filed October 9, 1918. Serial No. 257,466.

apparatus of this character, especially adapted for thawing various water pipes when frozen.

Other objects will appear hereinafter;

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. Y

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1, is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying the invention,

Fig. 2, a vertical section taken substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, an enlarged section illustrating the use of the apparatus in thawing out" an ordinary street fire plug, and

Fig. 4, a similar view illustrating the use of the apparatus in thawing out an ordinary house service pipe.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a suitable casing or jacket 5 having a boiler 6 suitably suspended therein above a burner 7, there being openings 5' in the top of said jacket to permit of the ready escape of the products of combustion. The burner 7 is supplied with fuel, such as gasolene, through a flexible hose or hollow wire 8, controlled by a valve 9. The hose 8 leads from the lower portion of a fuel supply tank 10 equipped with an air pump 11 connected with the upper portion thereof by means of a hollow wire or hose 12. The hose 8 is equipped with a needle valve 13 controlling the disehargeof the fuel from tank 10, and hose 12 is equipped with a needle valve 14 controlling the passage'of air to said tank. A suitable pressure gage 15 is also provided for tank'lO. By this arrangement it will be observed that the burner 7 may be readily supplied with fuel under pressure and that thesupply of fuel may be regulated by the various valves.

The discharge pipe 16 leads from the lower portion of boiler 6 and is equipped with a controlling valve 17 detachably connected with a flexible hollow wire or hose 18, as indicated, and whereby hot water may be withdrawn from boiler 6 under any steam pressure therein. A steam fitting 19 also leads from the top or steam space of the boiler 6 and is equipped with a pressure gage 20, a pop or safety valve 21 and a steam discharge pipe or hose 22 controlled by a valve 23 and whereby steam under pressure may be withdrawn from boiler 6.

The boiler 6 is also provided with an or dinary water level glass 24 which indicates the water level therein in the usual manner. A water supply pipe or hollow wire 25 leads into the upper portion of the glass '24,'and is connected at'its other end with a valve fitting 26 on the top of a water supply tank 27, a pipe'28 leading from valve fitting 26 to the bottom of the tank 27. An air upper portion of the tank 27 Tank 27 is equipped with a pressure valve 32 and water glass 33 for indicating the pressure and water level thereof. By this arrangement, it will be observed that by introducing suitable air pressure into the upper portion of tank 27, water may be supplied to boiler 6 as needed. By leading the supply pipe 25 into the upper portion of the water glass 24, a visible feed for the boiler 6 is provided, and by providing suitable air pressure in tank 27 a substantially automatic means for maintaining the water level in boiler 6 constant'is provided. The automatic maintenance of thewater level'in the boiler results from'the fact that when the water level in the boiler falls suddenly, the pressure necessarily decreases so that an increased amount of water willbe forced into the boiler by the pressure in the water supply tank, thus tending to maintain the water.

means of which the same may be readily transported to places of service.

When it is desired to thaw out an or-.

i the bottom thereof, a suitable body of hot water 38 is first introduced into the plug 36 by means of the hose or hollow wire 18. Then the hose or hollow wire 18 is removed and connected with the valve 23, whereu 3011 a suitable supply of steam is permitte to flow through the body of hot water 38, thus maintaining the temperature thereof 7 at a high point, which serves to quickly thaw the ice from the bottom ofsaid plug. In thawing out a service pipe 39, such as illustrated in Fig. 4, and which, for instance, contains a plug or body 40 of ice, the hollow wire 18 is introduced into the service pipe 39 until it comes into contact or close proximity with the inner end of the ice plug 40. Then the wire 18 is connected with the valve 17, and hot water permitted to flow into the service pipe until the plug of ice 40 is entirely melted. 7

The apparatus set forth will be found to be a simple and efficient one in use, andcapable of quickly and expeditiously thawing'out ordinary frozen water pipes under usual conditions.

The specific form and arrangement of parts, is a simple andeflicient one for the purpose. 7 V

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for car rying my invention into eifect, this is ca pable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of'the appended claims.

Having describedmy invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A pipe thawing apparatus comprising a boiler; means for heating said boiler; means for withdrawing heated fluid from said boiler and injecting it into a frozen pipe; and means for automatically maintaining a substantially constant level in said boiler, substantially as described.

2. A pipe thawing apparatus comprising a boiler; means for heating said boiler; means for independently withdrawing steam and water from said boiler and injecting said steam and water into a frozen pipe; and means for automatically maintaining a substantially constant water level in said boiler, substantially as described;

I 3. A pipe thawing apparatus comprising a boiler; means for heating said boiler; means for withdrawing heated fluid from -said boiler and injecting it intoa frozen pipe; and pneumatic means for automatically'maintaining a substantially constant substantially'as described. 7 7 9. The combination with aboiler of a level. in .said boiler, substantially as de- 7 scribed. V a

4. A pipe thawing apparatus comprising a boiler; means for heating saidiboiler; means for independently withdrawing steam and water from said boiler and injecting said steam and waterinto a frozen pipe; and pneumatic means for automatically maintaining a substantially constant water level in said boiler, substantially as described. V

5. A pipe thawing apparatus comprising a boiler; means for heating said boiler; means for independently withdrawing steam and water from said boiler and injecting said steam and water into a frozen pipe;

a water supply tank; a pipe leading from the lower portion of said tank into said boiler; and means for introducing'alr pressure into the upper portion of sa1d water tank, substantially as described. 7 i 6. A pipe thawing apparatus comprising a boiler means for heating-said boiler; means for independently withdrawing steam and water from said boiler and injecting said steam and water into a frozen pipe;

'awatersupply tank; a pipeleading from 'the lower portion of said tank into said boiler; a valve in. said pipe; and means for introducing air pressure into the upper portion of sa1d water tank,substantially as described. Y

7. A pipe thawing apparatus comprising a boiler; a jacket surrounding said boiler; a burner within sa1d acket under said boiler; means for independently: withdrawing steam and hot water from said boiler and injecting said steam and hot water into a frozen pipe; a fuel supply tank opera- .tively connected with said burner; a water supply tank operatively connected with said boiler; and means for introducing air pres sure into said fuel and water-tanks to disas described. 7 r

8. A pipe thawing apparatus comprisingcharge the contents thereof, substantially said steam and'hot water into a frozen pipe; 7

a water supply tank; a water glass operatively connected with said boiler; a pipe leading from said water tank into the upper portion of said water glass; a needle valve in said pipe; an air. pump on said platform operatively connected with said water and 7 arranged to introduce pressure thereinto;

a fuel supply tank on said platform; a

pump for introducingair pressure into said fuel supply tank; a valved pipe leading from said fuel supply tank to said burner,

water level glass outside said boiler and operatively connected therewith; and a water inlet for said boiler leading into said glass, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a boiler of a water level glass outside said boiler and operatively connected therewith; a water sup ply tank; means for introducing air pressure into said Water supply tank; and a 10 water supply pipe leading from the lower name to this specification in the presence of 15 two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

EDNA B. PARKER, MARY J. BARTIK.

WILLIAM s. DARLEYQ 

